My brother is a fireman. So is a brother-in-law. That and a cute cover had me checking out the title but small-town, here-just-for-a-while, ghost-helps-solve-crime had me purchasing the book. I've already added book 1.5 and 2 to my wishlist/shopping cart.
There were enough wacky characters and weird twists to keep me reading long past the bookmarked stopping place.
Family comes up, there is questions about an old fire death, as well as questions about a new fire death. There is a Vietnam vet that gets some slack because he's a hero. The owner of the pepper packing plant...and employer of most of the town. His newish wife and her (adult) son. But one of the people Stella needs to watch out for turns out to be the manager of the packing plant. He's not use to anyone questioning how he does things nor does he like having to do things differently than "it's always been done this way".
This is only a temporary assignment for Stella, three months to get the fire brigade up and running then home to Chicago and her old job. This is a "first in a new series" so you know she's staying but you've got to be wondering when she'll know she's staying.
The next book in the series (book 1.5) comes out in December and is an ebook novella about the puppy. Book two, Playing with Fire comes out in January 2014.
That Old Flame of Mine
A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery
J. J. Cook
978-0425252048
Berkley
April 2013
297 pages, includes recipes
mass market paperback (ebook)
Age range: 14+
cozy with a touch of paranormal
source: private library
finished reading: June 26
Grade: B+
After knocking the lights out of her boyfriend when she catches him cheating on her, Chicago fire fighter Stella Griffin hops on her Harley and heads for Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, where she ends up becoming the small town's fire chief. When her dear friend Tory Lambert dies after her gingerbread=style house is set ablaze, Stella suspects arson and foul play.
As Stella investigates, she gets help from a most unlikely source-the ghost of Eric Gamlyn, Sweet Pepper's old fire chief. And if that isn't enough to rattle her, attractive police officer John Trump seems to have taken an interest in her. But Stella's got to stay focused if she hopes to smoke out a killer before her own life is extinguished.
~*~*~
Challenges this counts towards:
150+
Outdo Yourself
Monthly Mix-up Mania
Genre Variety
Genre/sub-genre
Criminal Plots III
copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2013
1 comment:
Playing with Fire by JJ Cook
Stella Griffin is a Harley riding TN Fire Chief. Her family wants her to come back to Chicago, but she's not ready to leave. Another MURDER? That makes two and she wants to find out who-did-them.
This book caught my attention right away. I did not put this book down till I was finished! I stayed up half the night to finish it. It was an interesting and exciting book. It kept my interest through the whole book. Great writer(s)and a great mystery.
J.J. Cook has done it again, created a great story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries.
Post a Comment